I can see how it can be a large expense for a manufacturer who has lets say10 big time endorsed drummers who they supply multiple kits for in locations throughout the world.

A huge expense Bob. We have had a handful of high profile artists interested in what we're doing. Accordingly, we looked into costings, & for a company of our size, it's out of the question.

Many higher profile artists regard global support structure & default publicity exposure as much higher priority considerations than the instruments themselves. It's just business - both ways. Further down the pecking order, a more rounded appraisal is the norm. Of course, there are exceptions to this.